It's light and dark for Azzurra at the Rolex TP52 World Championship

Azzurra placed second in the first race at the TP52’s World Championship at Puerto Portals, but came in ninth in the second race. The event’s current leader is Phoenix 12 and racing will conclude on Thursday, July 29th.  

It was an up and down day for Azzurra in the Palma Bay where the first two races in the Rolex TP52 World Championship were held today. The event is also the fourth in the 2019 52 Super Series, the most competitive professional keel boat racing circuit currently run.

Racing was held in the Palma Bay’s usual light thermal breeze: 8 knots at the start of the first race that built to 11 and rotated to the right for the second. Phoenix 12 was the most consistent boat of the day with two third places and she is currently in the lead of this event, ahead of Quantum and Platoon. Provezza unfortunately dismasted and a team member was slightly injured. Her team is trying to organise the transfer of a spare mast from Valencia and hopes to be back racing soon.  

Azzurra got off to a good start with a second place finish in the first race, right behind the defending champions Quantum Racing. Phoenix 12, helmed by her owner Tina Plattner, finished right behind Azzurra. The team flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s burgee got a good start at the centre of the line, staying away from the crowd on the Committee Boat. Her tactic was to sail on the right hand side of the course in anticipation of a rotation of the wind to that side. Azzurra rounded the mark second behind Quantum and those positions stayed unchanged right to the end. 

Azzurra chose a similar tactic in the second race, but this time she struggled to get her speed up after being covered by her adversaries and slipping behind along the first beat.  She recovered very well up to fourth place by sailing to the left along the second beat, but dropped back again after an adversary, sailing ahead over the layline, involuntarily helped the teams that Azzurra had already passed.

The second race saw shifty breeze and sudden pressure drops and there were frequent changes in position behind the leading teams: Sled, at the head of the fleet right from the start, Phoenix 11 and Phoenix 12. Behind them it was a photo finish with Team Vision Future, Quantum, Bronenosec and Azzurra in a tightly packed group. Platoon had a particularly good race finishing fifth after a tough race. Azzurra is currently sixth overall at this event with 11 points.

Guillermo Parada, skipper: “The first race was cleaner and better for us but too bad about Provezza’s dismasting, it’s a pity for them and for the whole circuit. We wish the team both a speedy recovery for the injury and that we’ll see them back racing soon.  In the second race we didn’t have the right set up for the change in wind and we also made a lot of mistakes so we were never going to get results like that. If nothing else, we know what we should work on. We’ll analyse the reasons that we didn’t get good boat speed along the first beat and then we’ll be back with clearer ideas and ready to get a fresh start tomorrow.”

Tomorrow the first Warning Signal is scheduled for 1:00 PM CEST. The forecast is uncertain because of a low pressure front that is lying to the south of the Balearics. 

Rolex TP52 World Championship, Puerto Portals
Provisional results after two races
1. Phoenix 12 (RSA) (Tina Plattner) (3,3) 6 p.
2. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (1,7) 8 p.
3. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (4,5) 9 p.
4. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (9,1) 10 p.
5. Phoenix 11 (RSA) (Hasso Plattner) (8,2) 10 p.
6. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) (2,9) 11 p.
7. Bronenosec (RUS) (Vladimir Liubomirov) (5,8) 13 p.
8. Team Vision Future (FRA) (Jean Jacques Chaubbard) (7,6) 13 p.
9. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (10,4) 14 p.
10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (6,10) 16 p.
11. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (12 DNF, 12 DNC) 24 p.

52 SUPER SERIES 2019

Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week, 
May 21th - 25 th, Menorca, Spain.

Puerto Sherry 52 Super Series Royal Cup, 
June 18th - 22th Cadiz, Spain.

Cascais 52 Super Series Sailing Week, 
July16th - 20th Cascais, Portugal.

Rolex TP52 World Championship Puerto Portals 2019, 
August 25th - 29th Mallorca Spain.

Audi 52 Super Series Sailing Week, Porto Cervo
September 23th - 28rd Sardinia, Italy.

AZZURRA
Pablo and Alberto Roemmers - Owners
Guillermo Parada - Skipper, Helm
Santiago Lange - Tactician
Bruno Zirilli - Navigator
Giovanni Cassinari - Mainsail
Mariano Caputo - Bowman
Juan Pablo Marcos -  Midbow
David Vera - Pitman
Grant Loretz- Trimmer
Ciccio Celon - Trimmer
Mariano Parada - Trimmer
Gabriel Marino - Grinder
Alejandro Colla – Grinder
Nicola Pilastro - Grinder
Pedro Rossi- Boat Captain
Coach: Guillermo Baquerizas
Sail performances: Gonzalo Ramos Vertiz